Heat pumps are they a waste of money?

[MashBag]

No

Absolutely. There is no one answer, some will be better than others. Some will fit individual requirements better that other forms of heating.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Ok then, in November we had a full central heating system fitted cost 5500 quid, Worcester Bosch greenstar 4000 boiler and 8 rads, it is very efficient take this week we are just shy of £28-00 for gas and leccy rolls over at midnight highest we have had in the 2 cold weeks over crimbo and January is £39-00 , why would anybody shell out thousands on a heat pump for basically the same return. so no they are not worth the money

 

[Appleton Brews]

What about heat pump?

 

[Rodcx500z]

Which heat pump

 

[Appleton Brews]

I think you’ve lost it Rod, just calm down and let’s get back on topic.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Lost what,i just explained my thoughts on heat pumps, why would you buy one when GCH is so much cheaper

 

[MashBag]

Lost what,i just explained my thoughts on heat pumps, why would you buy one when GCH is so much cheaper

Spare a thought who don't have gas.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Spare a thought who don't have gas.

Oil!

 

[MashBag]

Oil!

Or?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Or?

Oil, is there anything else if you cannot use gas?

I forgot LPG -

Despite LPG being more costly to run than natural gas, both are markedly cheaper than the running cost of an electric boiler. Oil boilers, however, cost about the same price to run per kWh as natural gas boilers.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

This is for oil but gas shows a similar profile - our basic problem is that North Sea production peaked a generation ago and has been in decline ever since, as we found all the big fields decades ago and recent discoveries just don't produce that much. So if people want to keep gas boilers forever, where is the gas going to come from?

More at https://ember-energy.org/latest-ins...-builds-stability-by-cutting-import-reliance/

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Oil is not going to take over from gas but it is still a means of having cheaper CH than running an electric only house

The government have already bottled it over the cut off point for new gas boilers and with little incentive to have your old but still working boiler replaced with heat pumps I can see it moving again in the future.

 

[MashBag]

What about if you generate your own electric and get a free heatpump?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

What about if you generate your own electric and get a free heatpump?

Are we talking off grid?

If yes It depends on how you generate it if its wind on a calm day you are going to have no heat or hot water.

 

[MashBag]

Solar power means you have no heating at night. But neither affect hot water.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Solar power means you have no heating at night. But neither affect hot water.

With either system If you don't have wind or much sun when the tank of hot water has gone its gone.

 

[MashBag]

Yup. Not of you store enough for 2 days usage is not normally an issue.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Yup. Not of you store enough for 2 days usage is not normally an issue.

I remember back when i was a kid we had coal fires with back boilers which t heated water in a huge copper water tank in the airing cupboard those tanks seemed to be a lot bigger than the tanks these heat pups have you are going to have to be able to store a lot of hot water for days you have little sun or wind i don't think either are the solution if you are off grid.

Probably best with a wood burner and back boiler.

 

[jof]

I remember back when i was a kid we had coal fires with back boilers which t heated water in a huge copper water tank in the airing cupboard those tanks seemed to be a lot bigger than the tanks these heat pups have you are going to have to be able to store a lot of hot water for days you have little sun or wind i don't think either are the solution if you are off grid.

Probably best with a wood burner and back boiler.

I think it depends chippy.
My mum's house, that originally had a back boiler had a standard sized hot water cylinder.
When we looked at air-water heat pump, they were going to remove our standard size hot water tank and replace it with a much bigger 'thermal store' that would be too heavy to go in the upstairs airing cupboard.

Like everything else it sounds like it's more a case of designing your system (whatever type) to match requirements.

 

[jof]

What about if you generate your own electric and get a free heatpump?

Using solar & battery I can run house heating on a sunny day.
In fact these last few days it's covered heating & cooking.
Technically I'm still heating the hot water tank on overnight off peak power, but that's offset by solar export early afternoon.

But you are correct. No sun = need to charge batteries on off peak electric. But if you can get 95% of your electric usage at off peak price it's not too bad.

And interestingly power used by the electric cooker is surprisingly high. It can often be as much as heating the hot water with the emersion heater. This is why air fryers are so popular.